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Missed opportunities for stroke prevention

An analysis of the records of UK patients who had experienced a stroke has found that over half of those who should get drugs to prevent strokes were not prescribed them.

Across the UK, that amounts to 33% of all patients affected by strokes and transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) also known as ‘mini-strokes’.

The researchers, from the University of Birmingham, estimate that approximately 12,000 first strokes could be prevented in the UK each year through optimal prescribing of the drugs.

The team searched electronic medical records from over 500 UK general practices. They identified every patient who suffered a first stroke or a mini-stroke between January 2009 and December 2013. More….